1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to kitchen appliances and, more particularly, to a motorized food slicing appliance to simplify the cutting of bagels and other baked goods, and to increase safety.
2. Description of the Background
The conventional means for slicing food articles, particularly baked goods such as bagels, doughnuts and the like, entails a simple carving knife and cutting board. However, this engenders a significant safety hazard. Safety is especially compromised in the cutting of bagels, which are hard and round and thereby difficult to stabilize. It is recognized that bagel slicing is one of the foremost causes of household injury. Hospitals routinely treat an inordinate number of lacerated fingers caused thereby.
A number of machines and jigs for slicing bagels already exist in the prior art. These generally fall into two categories: 1) manual holding jigs or receptacles into which the bagel is placed to hold it during a conventional knife cutting operation; and 2) industrialized slicing machines designed to slice a large number of bagels or baked goods in an assembly-line manner.
Many of the former manually-operated devices include a receptacle having a pair of opposed slots into which is inserted a cutting instrument, which is then moved back and forth in a sawing action to slice the bagel while it is held by the receptacle. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,989 to Baillie shows a mechanical bagel press for securing bagels whilst cutting with a knife, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,505 to Campbell et al. shows a miter-box type manual bagel slicer for securing a bagel and guiding a knife. In these and other cases, the use of a separate knife to slice the bagel is not always convenient and leaves the risk of injury from the knife blade. Other variations attach the knife blade to the housing to facilitate the sawing action. Still others employ a special guided blade or make provision for rotating the bagel to facilitate slicing. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,331 to Policella, which shows a mechanical bagel press for securing bagels whilst cutting with a pivotally mounted knife, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,078 to Ricard et al. which shows a manual guillotine-type bagel slicing jig. These and like devices still result in a labor intensive process and user interaction with a free-swinging blade. Injuries are still prevalent.
There are heavy commercial devices used by restaurants and the like. These industrialized devices entail automatically feeding bagels past rotating blades. They are designed for use where ample counter space and a high price tag are not obstacles. For example, U.S Pat. No. 5,404,782 to Ryan et al. shows an automated slicer in which bagels or other baked goods are carried on a conveyer past two opposing horizontal blades. The baked goods are sliced by the blades and continue onward until they are ejected from the conveyer into a hopper. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,252 to Herlitzius shows an automated slicer in which bagels are carried on a conveyer to a rotary slicer. The bagels are sliced by adjustable blades and continue onward until they fall off the conveyer into a hopper.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide a compact motorized bagel slicing device adapted for home or light commercial use, thereby simplifying the slicing process and improving the safety thereof. While there have been efforts to achieve a balance between automation, safety, and simplicity, none as yet have yielded a satisfactory design. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,686 to Losiowski shows a bagel slicing jig in which a bagel is inserted through an entrance door in advance of a pushing mechanism. The handle operated pushing mechanism urges the bun past a diagonal blade. After slicing, the bun is ejected from the side of the jig. U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,901 to Putzer shows a bun slicing machine in which a round bun is inserted in a slidable carriage. The carriage and bun are shifted via a handle such that the bun encounters a diagonal blade. After slicing, the bun falls into an exit hopper for removal. These devices remain bulky, difficult to use and clean, and expensive to manufacture. They could be better designed for simplicity, compactness, ease of operation, more economical manufacturing, and ease of cleaning. It is believed that a well-designed modular unit striking a better balance between manual and motorized operation would find a significant market.